The issue is not new, and it is not that no one has mentioned it before. Katharine Hamnett has been championing ecological and ethical issues in fashion since the mid-’80s. It’s just that no one wanted to listen — until recently. It simply wasn’t fashionable to say anything, but now the tide has turned. Once the lone fighter on a doomed frontier, suddenly Hamnett may feel sucked into an eddy that marketers would call a “trend:” Green Is the new Black.
With followers scrambling to catch up, a knowing Hamnett is way ahead of the crowd. Spring 2007 will see her first — and, more importantly, the first — ethically and ecologically produced designer collection to hit the racks, made as responsibly as is currently possible.
The many self-imposed restrictions of Katharine Hamnett’s collection include the use of organic cotton and of dyes without large quantities of base metals, as well as a mode of production that is both ethically sound and sweatshop-free. It seems as though we’ve suddenly gotten the fear. While we’ve known for a long time that the planet is falling apart, it’s taken until now for anyone to take any real steps towards making the situation better — or, at the very least, towards not making it worse.
Fashion, perhaps surprisingly, is one of the worst environmental offenders, and is also an unlikely place to start saving the planet. The pesticides used in fabric production account for nearly a quarter of all those used worldwide, while the far-more documented use of sweatshops and underpaid workers continues to be an enormous part of clothing production.
But what is ecological or ethically sound, and what does it mean in fashion? Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, the duo behind From Somewhere, have found a different answer than most. Having launched From Somewhere way back in 1997, they are the pioneers of “Reclaim-to-Wear.” Here, they reintroduce cut-offs and ends-of-runs; no production is switched on for them. Instead, From Somewhere rescues tons of proclaimed production “waste,” season after season, from its otherwise inevitable journey to landfills and incinerators.
Other labels include Deborah Milner, who launched Ecoture for Aveda this season, and Noir, which introduced an integrated system of production that includes the use of organic and fair-trade fabrics, while ensuring the sustainability of the Humane Business Model. Noir Illuminati II also aims to ethically produce high-quality cotton for Noir and other luxury labels by 2008. Terra Plana, whose footwear includes recycled materials, is working towards total business sustainability. Countless others have begun to shift their allegiances and, finally, to consider ecology within their businesses.
Publications are equally involved. Sensing a new climate driven by a more sensitive consumer, new magazines addressing the issue have launched. For years, the Ecologist was the sole magazine telling us the hard facts about the planet in an interesting and digestible way; now, like Katharine Hamnett, founder and front-fighter Zac Goldsmith will be finding company. Project magazine, for example, has only tentatively launched to date, but is aimed at the customer who wants to live ethically and in style. Its first full-size issue is due out in the spring of 2007. Consumer consciousness is a new lifestyle niche.
Consolidation is called for, and From Somewhere is set to be the uniting force in this new UK designer market. In September 2006, Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci co-curated Estethica for London Fashion Week and persuaded Katharine Hamnett, among others, to join the team. Now it is the new force behind ethical fashion in the UK.
For the launch of Estethica, a handy map for the ethical consumer was needed. Uscha Pohl from VERY and VERYstyleguide sat down with de Castro, and VERYstylemap Ecological London was born.
The VERYstylemap Ecological London neatly marries the ecologically sustainable to the effortlessly stylish, dispelling the myth that ecology is solely, indissolubly allied with cheesecloth and hemp. These pocket-sized maps, hand-drawn by designer Manu Burghart, are both compact and cute, and have become must-haves for the ethical and style-conscious consumer. Within the first few weeks of their publication, thousands ran off the shelves, and they became the basis for lectures in schools and businesses, as well as the inspiration for various new and exciting collaborations and projects. Check the VERY website, www.upandco.com, for details and to find out where you can still purchase the maps — while stocks last — for just £2.
It’s true that we still have a long way to go; the statistical analysis makes for frightening reading, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of work we have to do merely to slow down climate change, let alone stop or reverse it. However, the past few months have seen a massive increase in consumers’ interest in ecology, and fashion has been working overtime as a cultural barometer. In this industry, the changes are fast coming and growing in strength every season. And that seems like a pretty good place to start.
